The 116m-long Turkish boxship, Yusuf Cepnioglu ran aground on the coast of Mykonos island, the Aegean Sea, Hellenic Coast Guard reported on Saturday, March 8th 2014.
On its route to Tunisia and with 14 members on board, the vessel was carrying 204 containers when it hit the rocks of northern tip of Mykonos island.
Directly under the coordination of the Hellenic Coast Guard Research and Rescue Center, an Air Force helicopter, patrol boat and lifeboat were dispatched to help the crew of the listing vessel.
The master and another crewman, who were in contact with the Coast Guard, decided to stay on board to manage the salvage operations. Twelve of the fourteen crew members were rescued by the Coast Guard, while the master and the crewman, were picked off later by the helicopter from USS Bataan, which was operating nearby, and was called to assist.
More details about the cause of the accident will be known after authorities finish the official investigation.
Related:
Video: USS Bataan (LHD 5) assess Turkish mariners
[mappress] WMN Staff, March 10, 2014